


GPS

by archaeologist_d



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Era, Canon Universe, Courage, During Canon, Episode: s03e08 The Eye of the Phoenix, Fluff, Gen, Magic, Maps, Silly, Strength, asking directions, stubborn arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:01:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25590994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/archaeologist_d/pseuds/archaeologist_d
Summary: Merlin wants to know why Arthur can’t ever ask for directions.
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 45
Collections: Merlin Canon 2020





	GPS

Merlin knew things were getting serious when he spotted a dozen or so maps on Arthur’s desk and Arthur scowling down at them.

Arthur had already announced to the court that he was going on a quest to the Perilous Lands to retrieve the Trident of the Fisher King. Uther was thrilled, but Merlin just thought that Camelot already had enough trophies to fill a large warehouse and suggested to Arthur that maybe it was a bit much, that everyone knew the lands were perilous and maybe he should pick something easier.

Merlin got a helmet thrown at him for that, so he shut up about how stupid it was. It didn’t stop him thinking it, though.

At least, Arthur was preparing for the journey. Not much was known about the place or so Gaius said, and no one knew where the trident was, and honestly, Arthur was a trouble magnet, so it put Merlin a bit on edge to think about it.

Especially when Arthur said that he was going… _alone_.

Merlin didn’t roll his eyes at that. He didn’t, although it was a near thing. And like it or not, Arthur was not going alone, even if Merlin had to follow him at a stealthy but safe distance.

Anyway, looking over Arthur’s shoulder, getting a glare for his curiosity, the whole thing looked complicated. None of the maps matched. And Arthur was writing furiously onto another map, muttering to himself as he did so.

Merlin said, “Can’t you just ask someone? That’s how we found our way around Ealdor.”

Rolling his eyes at Merlin, Arthur said, “Asking who exactly? No one has been to the Perilous Lands before.”

“Well, someone must have. Otherwise, how do they know there’s a Dark Tower there?” Merlin pointed down at the tower drawn on the map. “Did they make it up?”

Arthur put his quill down and glared up at Merlin. “Of course, they didn’t make it up. These maps are from the finest cartographers in Camelot.”

“Can’t you ask them?” Merlin said.

Arthur just growled at him. “Are you here to annoy me or is there a purpose to all this?”

Pointing down to one of the maps where Ealdor was marked, Merlin said, “Well, in Ealdor, whenever we were about to go on a journey, we’d ask people if anyone had been there before. You know, they’d tell you to go past the headman’s house, turn left at the fork, over the stone bridge with an X carved in it because we have several stone bridges and you never know which one it is otherwise, then keeping along the edge of the woods until you come to a broken tree with one branch pointing straight out, then turn right. That sort of thing. And when we arrived at the next village, we’d ask for directions to the next village, and the next and so on and so forth. That’s how we find out where we are going.”

Arthur shook his head in what looked like disbelief. Of course, he did that a lot, so it was hard to tell.

Finally, Arthur said, “That explains why you are constantly late. I mean really, Merlin, you’ve been in Camelot for years now and you still can’t find your way from Gaius’s to my chambers without getting lost a dozen times. It’s not that hard.” 

Merlin didn’t tell him that he did that on purpose, just to annoy Arthur.

Frowning a little, trying to look like he had just come up with the idea when he’d really been thinking about it for hours, Merlin said, “I think I should come along. I’m not afraid to ask for directions unlike some people I could mention.”

“You idiot, I’m supposed to be going _alone_. That’s the rule.” Arthur had that astonished look on his face as if he couldn’t believe he actually had to explain it. Again.

“Well, that sounds like a stupid rule. You get into trouble just walking to the privy.” When Arthur started looking around for something to throw at Merlin, Merlin backed up a little and said, “Just ask someone for directions. It’s not that hard.”

“Merlin….” Arthur sounded like he was almost at the end of his rope. His hand curled around a goblet half-full of water and Merlin could see Arthur’s knuckles tightening around the stem.

But Merlin ignored the signs. He did love to wind Arthur up. In for a penny, in for a pound.

“Well, it’s too bad magic isn’t allowed because all you’d need to do would be to find a magical map that would show you where you are and where you need to be and then follow the markers.” Waving his hands around in excitement, Merlin grinned, even as he watched Arthur’s scowl deepen. “Or, ohhh, if it could speak, it could tell you things. You wouldn’t even have to look at the map. It would just tell you to go right or left at the next fork and before you knew it, you’d be there.” Then Merlin stopped, sighing a heavy sigh and shrugging. “But magic isn’t allowed so I guess you’ll just get lost a lot. Especially with those maps.”

Arthur lifted up the goblet, then threw it in Merlin’s direction, shouting, “Get out!”

The water went everywhere. Merlin just laughed as he escaped unscathed. Behind him, Arthur was already sopping up the water he splashed all over the maps.

* * *

Grettir was a funny fellow, sarcastic and yet helpful in a dragon-obscure kind of way. Luckily, when he saw Merlin and called him Magic, Gwaine wasn’t around. That could have proved awkward. Not that Merlin thought Gwaine would attack him or anything, but he might be put out that Merlin hadn’t told him about the magic. Or else insisted that Merlin conjure up a barrel of ale or pickled eggs or both.

Anyway, Grettir said something about it being Merlin’s quest, not Arthur’s, which didn’t make sense but then the whole quest thing didn’t make sense either. 

But before he could ask about it, Grettir called out, “At last, Strength has arrived.”

Merlin glanced around to see Gwaine looking at first puzzled and then when Gwaine realized that Grettir was calling him Strength and not some other bloke hiding in the forest, Gwaine’s chest puffed up a bit.

But Gwaine being Gwaine, he pulled out his sword anyway, pointed it at Grettir and the sword promptly turned into flowers. Gwaine was miffed. “Hey, where’s my sword?”

Grettir shrugged. “The sword will return to you once you cross the bridge and continue your quest. Until then, they are lovely, are they not?”

Oh, the scowl Gwaine sent Grettir should have turned him into ash and bones, but Grettir just laughed again and then let out an ‘ah’ as if smelling the flowers and finding them delightful. 

Not wanting the whole situation to turn into a brawl because Gwaine looked like he was thinking about it, Merlin stepped between them and said, “So Arthur, err Courage, has already been by? Was he using his map? Because he was very proud of it, even though it would have been easier just to ask. Gods above, that man is stubborn.”

Snickering, glancing first at Gwaine and then back to Merlin, Grettir finally said, “I gave Courage directions whether he wanted them or not. Just as I will give you the same.”

“Why didn’t he just use his map? Although I don’t think this bridge was on it.” Merlin looked around. Nope, he was sure it wasn’t. 

Smiling, his fingers fluttering in the air as if to portray torn remnants of paper floating down, Grettir said, “He no longer has it. It disintegrated once he’d crossed the bridge. For the Perilous Lands are full of magic and peril and no map can truly capture its essence.”

Gwaine rolled his eyes. “So we won’t have a map, either? Merlin, mate, how will we find our way around without a map? 

“You ask and I shall tell you,” Grettir said, that sarcastic note back in his voice. “Once across the bridge, follow the track until you come to a fork, turn right and before you know it, you will be in the lands you seek. Beware the water traps and the sounds of death in the night. And in the morning, should you survive, there will be a tower, black as night, and there you will find Courage.”

Merlin started to thank him, Gwaine looking both confused and annoyed, when Grettir said, “You should hurry. Courage needs Strength’s help and…” he leaned close to Merlin’s ear, whispering, “Magic’s.”

And with that, he disappeared.

Typical.

* * *

Grettir’s directions were perfect. That he failed to mention the wyverns was less so. But at least Merlin was able to use his powers to thwart them although he had to wait until Gwaine went in one direction and him in another. Always a problem when he had to hide his powers. Annoying, too, but mostly dangerous as hell.

Arthur was not pleased to see him or Gwaine and that was putting it mildly. But after yelling a bit, they started exploring the tower together. It was full of wyverns and traps and things that could get them into trouble. A map —which they did not have — would have been very useful. Or directions, although Merlin didn’t see anyone to ask.

When Merlin finally did find someone to ask, the other two was hollering from the other side of the door and the Fisher King wasn’t in any mood to give directions.

Afterwards, after Merlin had done what the Fisher King wanted and sadly Merlin was alone again, the other two tumbled into the room. Arthur, of course, went straight for the prize, the git, grabbing up the trident and brushing past Merlin as if he were nothing. At least Gwaine gave him a hug.

Good old Gwaine.

* * *

Afterwards, a couple of days of slogging through quicksand and wyverns and forests that whispered doom — Merlin swore that sometimes the trees moved, not just the branches but the trees themselves , and Merlin using his magic to keep them on track, they reached the edge of Camelot.

Gwaine sadly was still exiled, unfair as it was, so he said good-bye, talking about ale and taverns and good times to be had in the next town over. He went off, claiming to ride toward the south, although Merlin was pretty sure it was west as the sun was sinking down in that direction. But what did Merlin know? Perhaps Gwaine had a secret sense of where things were. Or maybe he just needed a map.

As for Arthur, he was looking pretty darn proud of himself, despite the fact that Merlin and Gwaine had helped him. But when he mentioned that fact, Arthur said, “I was there all alone. No one else helped. Because if they had, there would be hell to pay.”

When Merlin looked like he was going to argue, Arthur pointed his finger at Merlin, and said, stern and final, “You were not there. You didn’t see me for weeks. You were out collecting herbs or whatever you do when you aren’t in the tavern.”

Frowning, Merlin didn’t exactly like lying, especially not to Gaius. Uther was another matter. He lied to the king all the time and enjoyed it, if truth be told. Sometimes he even came up with lies so outrageous, he thought for sure he would be discovered but he never was. Gaius, on the other hand, was no fool, and he often used the Eyebrow of Doom on him.

Nope, not lying to Gaius.

So Merlin just shrugged and asked for a day off instead. Arthur laughed. Merlin glared back at him. Obviously, the Once and Future King was an arse. And a cabbagehead and a dozen other things, too.

Merlin was already thinking of ways of getting back at the prat, itching powder or a spell to make his hair fall out or maybe giving him a squeaky voice for a day or two when Arthur slowed his horse.

“I have one question, Merlin. How did you find me? I had the only map.” Arthur said.

For a moment, Merlin didn’t say anything, just stared at the git.

Finally, grinning, urging his horse into a gallop away from Arthur and toward Camelot, Merlin shouted back, “That was easy. I asked for directions.”

  


**Author's Note:**

> A/N: The map disintegrating comes from a deleted scene. Not betaed. Sorry.  
> Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.


End file.
